A New Life for Ex Baltic Ferry
Unity Line’s former KOPERNIK is getting a serious makeover in Greece.
The ship has been acquired by Levante Ferries, and renamed SMYRNA.
Photo courtesy Christos Armenistis Chatzaras
Visit to Baltic Ferry Port Rostock.
The other week we visited the important and busy ferry port of Rostock. Three major ferry operators are using the port: Stena Line, Scandlines and TT Line, but also the roro operators Finnlines and Transfennica. Together they perform more than 6,000 calls per year.
In an interview, the port director Dr. Gernot Tesch (photo), is explaining the present and future.
Several Baltic ferry companies are focusing on minimizing food waste at the buffet restaurants, a typical place where people tend to take too much.
Tallink Silja is looking at the entire food chain from the galley to the passengers. Smaller plates help a lot. However, different passenger profiles create different consumption patterns (example: 200 ice-hockey players versus 200 retired people).
Viking Line has set up signs at its buffet, where they invite people not to take more food than they can eat.
Putting smaller portions in the buffet also helped a lot. It helps the passengers to take the right sizes of portions.
Finnlines has been focusing on getting better at assessing the amount of needed food.
On the Helsinki-Travemünde route the company provides food coupons that allow the combination of a light breakfast and then a hearty lunch.
